There’s a big reveal in the middle you’ll want to share with every health conscious person you know.

Dear “hungry to feel well,”

I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you this. Feathers will be ruffled! But this information is too important not to share. And when I’m wrong, I have to admit I’m wrong.

With years of food elimination programs under my belt, one-on-one nutrition counseling, personal & clinical experience as well as scientific & anecdotal research – I’ve come to a conclusion.

When I got off the phone with Sally, I wanted to celebrate with ice cream! Sally worked with me for 6 months, as I supported her food elimination diet. Recently, she signed up for an Intuitive Reading and two nutrition consultations. Today was her third session, she had this to report:

The SHACKLES are off, ALL options are back!​​​​​​

My partner of 24 years said, “I feel like I live with a different person.”

People around me are amazed. They’re asking how I’ve done it?!

I want to share this process with everyone, it’s FUN!

I feel energized, FREE, excited and delighted

If you know me, you know I take my job as a health coach seriously. I’m fiercely protective of my client’s sanity so I’m cautious of word choice, language and advice. Anything I say I aim to a) not confuse you further and b) empower you with CHOICES instead of adding more rules.

That said, the time has come to boldly draw my sword in the sand and tell you which side of the “line” I stand on.

You’ve heard about coffee enemas right? An expensive cold brew you don’t get to drink. It goes in a different hole 😬.

Drinking coffee activates your bowels and improves peristalsis. Why would you…?!?! Never mind, I’ll never understand how this became a trend.

Spring’s got me thinking about what we do in the name of “health.” I notice self-judging thoughts, irritability & anxiety, and an overriding sense of frustration. These are common feelings this time of year, believe it or not. Especially in Maine, we’re behind Alaska as the last to Spring. It’s a sloooow start and I feel agitated.

The truth is, Spring is uncomfortable. Even if you slept like a champion all Winter. Even if you live in a sunny state. Spring is like puberty, it’s awkward. It’s the opposite of smooth, it’s muddy, messy and there’s a lot of change happening at once.

The idea of reaching for a “coffee enema” to get your bud to sprout FASTER isn’t what mother nature intended.

When you feel bad, your mind spins with should’a, could’a, would’as –

That’s natural. Waking up after a long hibernating season, you’re not supposed to feel “springy & sparkly.” You’re supposed to feel like you just woke up!The key here is to understand you’re in a season and not get swept away trying to “fix” it. [Read more…]

You’d think food-gawking would be taboo but food shaming is going strong. I’ve been sensitive to it since I was a young girl when my dad would say things like – are you sure you want to eat that?

He was referring to anything on my plate that wasn’t “dietetic” (a made up word with made up foods to protect you from fat). My dad believedthe most important virtue in life was to be thin & beautiful. Add this to a child-born battle with weight and you get some crazy food rules.

In a nut shell, the rules in my house were:

fat is the enemy

red meat will kill ya

you only deserve to eat if you’ve exercised hard

fish is the only food to eat guilt free (that and crackers & jelly??)

sorbet is a pass, ice cream is NOT

and fat is BAD (mentioned twice for emphasis)

Today at my local health food store’s Oatmeal Bar, I wasn’t ashamed of being seen with oatmeal (Paleo peeps don’t scare me). I wasn’t afraid to fill my cup to the brim (I don’t hide my portion sizes). What I didn’t want anyone to see was… how much butter (FAT) I put in my oatmeal.

The fear of FAT is steeped in our psyche.

And although I’ve healed most of my fat shame – FAT saved me from incessant food cravings, anxiety & depression, roller coaster hormones and a boring diet – my fear is what other people will think of how much fat I eat. Being a “nutritionist,” I don’t want to scare people away!

Are you judging the fat on YOUR plate?

Luckily, the door’s been opened by the media for a more fat-friendly relationship. But, won’t fat kill ya? And, WILL THE FAT YOU EAT MAKE YOU FAT?

No! I have to shout because this is important.

Fat is your friend. Fat from pasture-raised animals not given antibiotics, growth hormones or toxic waste is a “superfood.” It’s also a macro-nutrient, which means you MUST consume it (you’re body doesn’t produce it) in order to supply your body proper nutrition required for LIFE.

Weight gain is caused by undernourished hormones, stress & insomnia and DIETING. The fat on your body is NOT caused by the fat you eat.

Fat is a digestive aid! It helps break down carbohydrates. Why do you think the French love their fatty sauces? Because in most cultures, meals are designed for digestibility. Fat, like fermented food, is intentionally included because they’re both high in enzymes which break down carbohydrates so your body can assimilate nutrition with ease.

Like bread was designed for butter, chicken breasts were designed to eat with chicken skin (the tasty stuff)!

If you’ve taken animal protein out of your diet, you’re likely deficient in fat.

Grains need to have fat added. Like my oatmeal at Alfalfa’s Oatmeal Bar. I tucked 2 pads of Organic Valley Butter into the center to get it melted and took this photo. Then I added one more for good measure. I could have added a fourth packet (another 1/2 Tablespoon) but not in public!

The measure of whether I added the right amount of fat is – how I feel. I wasn’t hungry or snack’y until 4 hours later. Feeling satisfied is a sign of a balanced meal and sufficient fat.

There’s no reason to be ashamed of eating large portions of fat. In fact, you can use people’s reactions as a measure: if jaws drop, you’ve added the right amount. And when it happens, send them to me.

If you want to optimize your fat digestion, drink bone broth regularly. Click and you’ll be notified of my next #30DayBoneBrothChallenge. It’s a fun & easy way to get broth’ing.

Bake the potatoes until tender, about 30 - 45 minutes. Allow to cool, peel the skins off, then grate. Season well with salt & pepper and add desired amount of EVOO (if you're not adding bacon, opt for more EVOO).

Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of grated potato into each muffin cup. Use your fingers to gently press down on the sides and bottom to make a nest - you're making room for the egg.

Sprinkle a few pieces of bacon in each cup. Bake for 30-45 minutes to help crisp the potatoes and cook the bacon.

Allow the nests to cool before cracking an egg into each cup (it's okay if some of the egg white spills over into the pan. It cleans up easily at the end). Sprinkle with salt & pepper and bake until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired temperature (soft, medium or hard), about 15-30 minutes.

Don’t waste your New Year get-up-and-go on a diet, detox or cleanse. If you need structure & motivation, I’ve created something sane, doable and 100% effective.

My New Year’s Challengetakes 10 days. It is a challenge, I’m not going to lie. One that will leave you deeply nourished, proud and UNSTOPPABLE. The measure of a successful ‘eating plan’ is how well you transition to the REAL WORLD. This is how you’re going to sustain your progress and more importantly, multiply your results. Anyone can not eat gluten or sugar for 10 days, this is so much more.

Please have a look NOW, my Challenge is time sensitive… we begin TUESDAY January 27thand I want YOU to be apart of this. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to get a head start in 2015.

Cut apples into slices or small chunks. (You want to be able to scoop up a bite with both apple and crumble, so cut the apples fit on your spoon). Toss apples with lemon juice and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: arrowroot powder, sugar, and cinnamon then toss with apples. Pour the apple mixture into a buttered baking dish.

Crumble

Put almonds in a food processor, spice or coffee grinder. (A high speed blender also works). Process to a powder; it's okay to leave some of it chunky. If using a Food Processor, add butter, arrowroot, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon and process until smooth. (I grind the almonds in my coffee grinder and then mix the crumble together with my hands in a bowl). Crumble the mixture on top of the apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until the crumble is golden and the apples have a syrupy coating (not shown in this picture). Serves well with real whipped cream, crème fraiche, cream or coconut milk.

Notes

I recommend doubling the 'topping' ingredients, it's the best part and I feel shorted if I don't have enough crumble. You can also use this recipe for a Berry Crumble, just leave out the cinnamon. One large bag (16 ounces) of any frozen (or fresh) berries.

5 Non-Food Ways To Boost Digestion

Did you know that stress is one of the main causes of poor digestion? Of course food matters, but optimal digestion involves more than what’s on your plate. To improve digestion, I recommend integrating these 5 non-food related activities:

Get outside. Interact with animals. Be in nature. You need time to remember who you are. Strengthen your connection to the divine source and your nervous system relaxes, preparing you for optimal digestion.

Focus on HOW you eat. Resist eating fast. Panicked eating is stressful eating. Slow down. Savor. Stress chemistry is a major reason for poor digestion. It’s crucial to reverse that and give your body a chance and eat when you’re calm.

Have you ever said those words to yourself?

This particular thought is a nasty one. You know why? Because it comes across as “smart.” It’s like the more you tell yourself you’re wrong, the sooner you can right your wrongs.

Let me ask you… “how’s that working for you?”

If you’re honest with yourself, you will agree, it’s not working. For the majority of my clients, wanting health & fitness does not always get you health and fitness. Neither does scolding yourself for a “bad day.”

It’s time to call this thought out for what it is: “I age badly today” is a self-improvement landmind that denotes negativity, self-doubt, blame and shame and has never improved the body or the mind.

Get Started

Praise

I am feeling so great, so much more alive, I am eating so much better – and I love my breakfasts! Marcie Has developed a Program to help me achieve my wellness goals. Marcie is lovely, kind, gentle an…

Simon, Entrepreneur

The biggest thing Marcie has helped me with is breaking through “bad” eating patterns and finally establishing healthy constants in my diet. She has given me a solid plan to fall back on when I fi…

Maggie Skodon, stylist, 29

By working with Marcie, I’ve gained a deep understanding of how to choose nourishing foods that are not only good for me – they are delicious and satisfying. Marcie’s “ancient wisdom” approach to nutr…

Mark Kreloff, Entrepreneur

Marcie taught me to combine grains. I was pretty blown away when I added an Indian spice bag to my oatmeal instead of sugar. Woohoo! Marcie is very wise. Meeting her has changed my life.

Susan, Teacher

Marcie’s Six Month Program allowed me the time and space to figure out this food thing. I’ve given up things I never thought I would and I’m trying foods I said I never would. If you’re confused a…

Elizabeth, teacher, 27

I started working with Marcie to help control issues with reflux disease and elevated cholesterol. I was hoping to get off the prescribed reflux medication because of complications I was having from t…

Dr. Andrew Goldman, M.D., (no relation)

Marcie’s approach to food and eating is very gentle. She encourages trusting the body to lead you to healthy, satisfying foods. She’s also consistently gaining insight and recommends great sources…

Kirsten, Public Relations

Marcie taught me how to make each meal count and how to eliminate food from my diet that was holding me back. Lara Kalush

Thanks, Marcie, you are my health guru!!! I so appreciate the advice, info, knowledge, etc. You are the picture of good health so it is really easy to take your advice.